We've made this as easy as possible. Simply click on the button that says "Make a Promise" and follow the instructions. You'll be able to choose which reward or combination of rewards you would like. And once you've made a promise, you can then join the conversation on the project owner's comments page.

On Bloom, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Why? It protects everyone involved. This way, no one is expected to develop a project with an insufficient budget, which sucks. Remember you set your own funding goal, so aim to raise the minimum amount you'll need to create your vision. Projects can always raise more than their goal, and often do.

Bloom collects a 5% fee from the project’s funding total if, and only if, a project is successfully funded. The payments processor (Paypal)) also charges processing fees that generally work out to 3-5%.

People visit Bloom to discover great projects, but momentum always starts with people you know. Who? Your friends and fans, and the people in the on and off-line communities that you're a part of. If they like it, they’ll help spread it to their friends and fans, and so on and so on. A good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and wide.

The average project will set out to raise less than £10,000, but some projects can raise significantly more. The key is understanding your reach. Think about your network and how your project and rewards might appeal to them.

Absolutely! Bloom is for creative projects big and small, serious and whimsical, traditional and experimental. Small projects that you (or you and a few friends) can do over a weekend are perfect for Bloom. Check out Small Projects.

Click the “Create” tab and answer a few quick questions about your project.

It shouldn't take us more than a day or two to get back to you. We're not screening for viability or taste at all, we won't judge your idea. We only take this step to ensure that no one posts inappropriate content or violates our guidelines.

Got an idea? Bloom offers a platform to promote your project, raise cash to fund it and support to help you get it off the ground. In our world, the best way ti inspire support is to offer people special, quirky or unique rewards. Spend some time considering your rewards and what will inspire people to support you.

Want to make a promise? Bloom gives you access to some of the most exciting and exceptional new ideas and the facility to provide financial support to get them off the ground.

Crowdfunding is a very simple model - it's a new form of patronage for the digital age - lots of people making small contributions to achieve a bigger goal. The goal could be a startup business, a community project or a social enterprise. Simply post the project on the website, then ask your friends, family and social connections to support what you're doing by making a promise.

Embedding your project onto your website is a really effective tool to spread the word about your crowdfunding campign It means everyone who visits your site will see what you're trying to achieve and can instantly click the link to support you.

So, to embed a Bloom project on your website, navigate to the project you wish to embed.

Scroll down the page to the ‘embed’ section below the description. Copy the code listed in the box next to the embed section.

Then simply copy this code into your website’s code wherever you want the project pod to appear.

PayPal will only take the total amount you promise from your account. But you are actually preauthorising that total amount to be broken into two separate payments - one to the project owner and the other to Bloom as our commission (Bloom takes a 5% commission which is already pre-agreed with the project owner before they launch their project).

And remember, PayPal will only take the promise from your account if the project closes successfully.

We really hope that you don't want to break a promise, but if you do - maybe to choose a different set of rewards or to support a different project - then you can break it at any time before the project is funded by clicking on the Break My Promise button. Once the project is successfully funded, it's not possible to break your promise.